Hotel Transylvania: Transformania | |
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Directed by | |
Screenplay by |
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Story by | Genndy Tartakovsky |
Based on | Characters by Todd Durham |
Produced by | Alice Dewey Goldstone |
Starring |
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Edited by | Lynn Hobson |
Music by | Mark Mothersbaugh |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Amazon Studios (worldwide) Sony Pictures Releasing (China) |
Release date |
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Running time | 87 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $75 million [2] |
Box office | $18.5 million [3] [4] |
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (also known as Hotel Transylvania 4, Hotel Transylvania 4: Transformania, or simply Transformania) is a 2022 American animated adventure comedy film produced by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation and released by Amazon Studios. It is the fourth and final feature film in the Hotel Transylvania franchise and the sequel to Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018), the film was directed by Derek Drymon and Jennifer Kluska (in their respective feature-length directorial debuts) from a screenplay by Amos Vernon, Nunzio Randazzo and Genndy Tartakovsky. It stars the voices of Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez (who also served as an executive producer alongside Tartakovsky and Michelle Murdocca), Kathryn Hahn, Jim Gaffigan, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade, Keegan-Michael Key, Brian Hull (replacing Adam Sandler), Fran Drescher, Brad Abrell (replacing Kevin James), Asher Blinkoff, Tyler "Ninja" Blevins and Zoe Berri (replacing Sadie Sandler). In the film, Dracula and Johnny (Hull and Samberg) team up to find a crystal in South America to turn themselves back to normal, before their transformations become permanent.
Plans for a fourth Hotel Transylvania film began in February 2019 Tartakovsky confirmed in October 2019 that he will not direct the film and was announced to be released on December 22, 2021. Returning and new cast and crew members were announced soon after, and Mark Mothersbaugh, who composed the score for the first three installments, returned to score, in addition to original song performed by Yendry. Production took place remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. After it was planned to be released theatrically in the United States on October 1, 2021, Sony Pictures Releasing cancelled the release and sold the film's distribution rights to Amazon Studios for $100 million, due to rising cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in the United States.
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania was released exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on January 14, 2022, and theatrically in China on April 3. A spin-off series named Motel Transylvania is scheduled to premiere on Netflix in 2025.
During Hotel Transylvania's 125th anniversary celebration, Dracula is planning to retire and leave the hotel to Mavis and Johnny. Mavis overhears this and tells Johnny who excitedly tells Dracula his plans to renovate the hotel. Worried about Johnny ruining the hotel, Dracula lies to him saying that there is a "monster real-estate law" which only lets monsters own the hotel and instead falsely announces the expansion of the hotel with an extra bathroom.
Van Helsing decides to help Johnny by using a ray powered by a crystal that turns humans into monsters and monsters into humans. After testing it on his guinea pig Gigi, he uses it on Johnny who turns into a dragon. Learning about Johnny's monster form, Dracula tries to turn him back to normal but accidentally turns himself into a human and breaks the ray's crystal. Van Helsing tells Dracula and Johnny that they can turn themselves back to normal by getting another crystal in the Cave of the Reflexión in South America, so Dracula and Johnny set off to do so.
Dracula's friends Frank, Wayne, Griffin and Murray end up becoming humans as well, as a result of drinking from a fountain that was contaminated by the ray. After learning about Dracula and Johnny's whereabouts on the news, Mavis and Ericka confront Van Helsing, but they are attacked by Gigi, where Van Helsing discovers that the effects of the ray are unstable, as the monster transformation will keep mutating until the subject becomes a mindless beast. The rest of the gang head to South America to find Dracula and Johnny.
While traveling through South America, Dracula and Johnny begin to bond. During a camp-out, Johnny teaches Dracula about how if he only sees the worst in things, he’ll miss out on the best parts. Dracula begins to confess that he lied about the monster real-estate law, but the rest of the group finds them. Things turn sour when Dracula admits his deception regarding passing over the hotel to Mavis and Johnny. This prompts an upset and furious Johnny to believe Dracula doesn’t consider him family and to mutate further before running away.
Mavis goes to find Johnny while Dracula and the rest of the gang go to the Cave of the Reflexión. Mavis finds Johnny, but the transformation has turned him very volatile. She leads him to the cave where they finally find the crystal. When Mavis tries to turn Johnny back to normal, nothing happens. Dracula lets himself get captured by Johnny and makes a speech about how he now sees him as family. This brings Johnny back to his senses, and he is returned to normal.
With Dracula and his friends back to normal, they return home but to find that the hotel has been destroyed by Gigi. After turning Gigi back to normal, Dracula decides to let Mavis and Johnny rebuild the hotel to their liking. One year later, Mavis and Johnny have rebuilt and modernized the hotel.
In February 2019, Sony Pictures Animation announced that a fourth film had been in development. [10] [11] In October 2019, Genndy Tartakovsky confirmed that he would not direct the film. [12] In September 2020, Jennifer Kluska and Derek Drymon, a storyboard artist on the first two Hotel Transylvania sequels and a former crew member of Rocko's Modern Life , CatDog , SpongeBob SquarePants and Adventure Time , respectively, were confirmed to be the film's directors, while Tartakovsky would write the screenplay and serve as an executive producer alongside Selena Gomez, who voices Mavis in the series. [13] [14] Production took place remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. [15]
In April 2021, the film's title was revealed to be Hotel Transylvania: Transformania and it was confirmed that it would be the final film in the franchise. [16] [17] That same month, Sony confirmed that Adam Sandler would not reprise his role as Dracula. [6] The role was given to Brian Hull after voicing the character in the short film Monster Pets , [18] while Kathryn Hahn, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, and Keegan-Michael Key were confirmed to reprise their roles. [5] The following month, it was announced that Brad Abrell had replaced Kevin James as the voice of Frankenstein. [8] Lynn Hobson served as editor. [19]
Mark Mothersbaugh returned to score the film, having previously scored the first three installments. [20] The soundtrack was released on January 14, 2022 by Sony Classical. [21] Additionally, the original end credits song Love Is Not Hard to Find were written by Morien van der Tang, Faried Arween Jhauw, Glen Faria & Jheynner Argot) and performed by Yendry and released on January 14, 2022. [22]
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania was released by Amazon Studios on Prime Video, on January 14, 2022. [23] In February 2019, Sony Pictures Releasing scheduled the film for release on December 22, 2021. [24] In April 2020, the film was moved up to August 6, 2021. [25] In April 2021, the film was moved up again to July 23, 2021. [16] In June 2021, the film was rescheduled to October 1, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [26]
In August 2021, Sony Pictures cancelled the film's theatrical plans and entered discussions to sell the distribution rights to a streaming service, in response to the rising cases of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in the United States. [27] [28] On August 16, 2021, it was reported that Amazon Studios was in negotiations to acquire the distribution rights to the film for $100 million from Sony and would release it exclusively on Amazon Prime Video worldwide, excluding China, where Sony would release it theatrically on an undetermined date. Sony would also retain home entertainment and linear television rights to the film. [29] [30] On October 6, 2021, Amazon set a release date of January 14, 2022, coinciding the first film’s 10th anniversary. [23]
The film had a limited theatrical release on February 25, 2022. [31] On March 7, 2022, it was announced that the film would have a theatrical release in China beginning April 3 of that year. [32]
Hotel Transylvania: Transformania was released on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD on August 15, 2023 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. [33]
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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 47% of 77 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.1/10.The website's consensus reads: "Much like the trio of films it follows, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania is middling family viewing -- relatively painless, but overall rather uninspired." [34] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 46 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [35]
Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting rates it 2.5 out of 5 stars, writing "Hotel Transylvania: Transformania never gets as complex as its moral center suggests, therefore never really rising above a wholesome, exuberant amusement ride." [36] Tomris Laffly of Variety gave the film a mixed review, writing, "The result is yet another wearisome tale that inelegantly depicts themes like acceptance, understanding and diversity within a saga that has always been rather clumsy with its messaging around such weighty topics." [37] John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review, writing, "Never much to write home about in the script department — Tartakovsky excels in more stylish, less verbal fare like Samurai Jack — Transformania remains sufficiently goofy-sweet to please its target demo; those who find the humor toothless should at least appreciate the distinctive animation, which can be as energetically wacky as classic Looney Tunes ." [38]
The film was nominated in two categories for "Outstanding Special Class Animated Program" and "Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for an Animated Program" at the 1st Children's and Family Emmy Awards. [39] At the 2023 Kids' Choice Awards, Selena Gomez won the award for "Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie (Female)". [40]
Although Hotel Transylvania: Transformania was made as the final entry to the franchise, in June 2024, Motel Transylvania, a television series set to debut on Netflix in 2025, was announced. [41] [42] The series is set to focus on Dracula and Mavis opening a motel. [43] [44]
In September 2024, while interviewed by Collider due to his forthcoming attendance to the SCAD AnimationFest to be honored with an Award of Excellence, Tartakovsky was asked about the likelihood of a fifth Hotel Transylvania film. He said that he thinks Sony may want more films if there's a demand for it, acknowledging how well Transformania performed during its Amazon release, opining that they will have to wait and see. [45]
Professor Abraham Van Helsing is a fictional character from the 1897 gothic horror novel Dracula written by Bram Stoker. Van Helsing is a Dutch polymath doctor with a wide range of interests and accomplishments, partly attested by the string of letters that follows his name: "MD, D.Ph., D.Litt., etc.", indicating a wealth of experience, education and expertise. He is a doctor, professor, lawyer, philosopher, scientist, and metaphysician. The character is best known through many adaptations of the story as a vampire slayer, monster hunter and the arch-nemesis of Count Dracula, and the prototypical and the archetypal parapsychologist in subsequent works of paranormal fiction. Some later works tell new stories about Van Helsing, while others, such as Dracula (2020) and I Woke Up a Vampire (2023) have characters that are his descendants.
Gennady Borisovich "Genndy" Tartakovsky is a Soviet-born American animator, writer, producer, and director. He is best known as the creator of various animated television series on Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, including Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars, Sym-Bionic Titan, Primal, and Unicorn: Warriors Eternal.
Largely as a result of the success of Bram Stoker's Dracula, Transylvania has become a popular setting for gothic horror fiction, and most particularly vampire fiction. In some later books and movies Stoker's Count Dracula was conflated with the historical Vlad III Dracula, known as Vlad the Impaler (1431–1476), who though most likely born in the Transylvanian city of Sighișoara, ruled over neighboring Wallachia.
Sony Pictures Animation Inc. is an American animation studio owned by Sony Entertainment's Sony Pictures Entertainment through their Motion Picture Group division and founded on May 9, 2002. The studio is based in Culver City, California. Most of the studio's films are distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Releasing under their Columbia Pictures label, while direct-to-video releases are released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
Michael McCullers is an American writer and director.
Van Helsing is an action-adventure video game for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Game Boy Advance, which is based on the 2004 action horror film of the same name by Stephen Sommers. Hugh Jackman and Richard Roxburgh reprise their roles from the film. The game is one of the few games on PlayStation 2 that can run in 480p.
Hotel Transylvania is a 2012 American animated monster comedy film produced by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. The first installment in the Hotel Transylvania franchise, it was directed by Genndy Tartakovsky from a screenplay by Peter Baynham and Robert Smigel, and a story by Todd Durham, Dan Hageman and Kevin Hageman, based on an original concept created by Durham. The film stars the voices of Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Fran Drescher, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade and CeeLo Green.
Hotel Transylvania 2 is a 2015 American animated monster comedy film produced by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation in association with LStar Capital, animated by Sony Pictures Imageworks, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky and written by Robert Smigel and Adam Sandler, it is the second installment in the Hotel Transylvania franchise, serving as the sequel to Hotel Transylvania (2012).
Hotel Transylvania is an American media franchise created by Todd Durham and owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment. It consists of four animated feature films, three short films, an animated television series, and several video games.
"I'm in Love with a Monster" is a song recorded by American girl group Fifth Harmony for the 2015 animated film, Hotel Transylvania 2. It was written by Harmony Samuels, Carmen Reece, Sarah Mancuso, Edgar Etienne and Ericka Coulter with production handled by Samuels. It was released to digital retailers on August 14, 2015 through Epic Records and Syco Music and serviced to contemporary hit radio in the United States four days later on August 18. "I'm in Love with a Monster" is a pop song that blends elements of R&B, soul, and hip hop with "jazzy" rhythms along with heavy and funky beats. Critics drew comparisons to the musical style of girl groups such as The Supremes.
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation is a 2018 American animated monster comedy film produced by Sony Pictures Animation and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. It is the third installment in the Hotel Transylvania franchise and the sequel to Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015), the film was directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, written by Tartakovsky and Michael McCullers, and features Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Fran Drescher, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, Sadie Sandler, David Spade, Keegan-Michael Key, Asher Blinkoff and Mel Brooks reprising their roles, with new additions to the cast including Jim Gaffigan, Kathryn Hahn, Joe Jonas, Chrissy Teigen, Joe Whyte, Tara Strong and Tartakovsky, while Chris Parnell, who voiced The Fly in the first two films, voices Stan. In the film, Dracula finds love with a ship captain named Ericka while he embarks on a vacation on a luxury cruise liner with his family and friends, but Mavis later discovers that Ericka is actually the great-granddaughter of Abraham Van Helsing, Drac's arch-nemesis who secretly plan to destroy them.
Hotel Transylvania: The Series is an animated comedy television series produced by Sony Pictures Animation and Nelvana in association with Corus Entertainment. It is based on and serves as a prequel to the film Hotel Transylvania (2012), taking place before the events of the first film, focusing on the activities of 114/115-year-old Mavis and her best friends at the Hotel Transylvania while Dracula is away at the Vampire Council.
Jennifer Kluska is an American film director, screenwriter, and storyboard artist best known for her work on DC Super Hero Girls (2018) and Hotel Transylvania: Transformania (2022).
Fixed is an upcoming American adult animated comedy film being produced and directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jon Vitti, and co-produced with Michelle Murdocca. Produced by Sony Pictures Animation, The film features the voices of Adam DeVine, Idris Elba, Kathryn Hahn, Fred Armisen, Bobby Moynihan, and Beck Bennett. The film follows a dog who discovers that he is going to be neutered in the morning. It is the first adult animated film from SPA, as well as their first traditionally animated film.